Conveyor mechanism



Oct. 10, 1961 G. H. FRANK CONVEYOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1959 nv VE/VTOR 6'. H. FFA IW'F 81 Oct. 10, 1961 G. H. FRANK CONVEYOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1959 lA/VA/TOR 6.H. FRANK Oct. 10, 1961 G. H. FRANK CONVEYOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 20, 1959 United States Patent 3,003,614 CONVEYOR MECHANISM George H. Frank, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,336 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-204) This invention relates to conveyors mechanisms for carrying loose material such as sand and castings from molds and more particularly to foundry conveyors having yieldably mounted side walls which limit the lateral movement of the material on the conveyor and which form portions of an exhaust hood over the conveyor.

In one type of foundry having a cooling rack on which molds are placed after the molten metal is poured therein, a conveyor is provided at one end of the rack into which the sand molds and castings are dumped for conveyance to a separator Where the sand and the castings are separated from each other. Stationary metal side walls are also provided which are mounted above and in close proximity to the conveyors for confining the sand and castings therebetween on the conveyor. It frequently happens that casting or scrap pieces of the cast metal become wedged between the conveyor and the bottom of the side walls and cause the conveyor to become jammed and to stop. It is then necessary for the attendant to locate and remove the source of the trouble and restart the conveyor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved conveyor mechanism for carrying loose material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved conveyor mechanism for conveying castings and sand from molds and having yieldably mounted side walls for limiting the lateral movement of the castings and sand on the conveyor and to prevent the jamming of the conveyor by the wedging of the castings between the bottom of the side walls and the conveyor.

A further object of the inventionresides in the provision of a material conveyor having an exhaust hood thereover with yieldably mounted side walls for confining the material laterally on the conveyor and preventing stopping of the conveyor by the wedging of material between the conveyor and the side walls.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates the provision of an endless conveyor for conveying sand molds and castings dumped thereon, and a pair of laterally spaced composite side walls supported on an overhead portion of a frame and extending downwardly in close proximity to the conveyor for limiting the lateral movement of the castings and sand on the conveyor. Each composite wall includes a lower metal plate section engageable with the castings and the material on the conveyor and a flexible section of resilient sheet material which is connected to the upper portion of the plate section and permits upward displacement thereof in the event a casting becomes wedged between the lower edge of the plate section and the moving conveyor. Portions of the frame engage one side of each of the plate sections of the side walls to support the plate sections against lateral outward displacement, and brackets on the plate sections engage portions of the frame and cooperate therewith to support the plate sections against movement downwardly and in the direction of movement of the conveyor. The upper edges of the composite side walls may be connected to a stationary top wall to form a hood through which gases from the molded product dumped onto the conveyor may be exhausted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed 3,093,614 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 description thereof and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the conveyor structure;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional views of the conveyor structure taken along lines 22 and 33, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of the conveyor structure with portions broken away taken along line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary plan sectional views of the conveyor structure taken on lines 5-5 and 66 of HG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the conveyor mechanism comprises a conveyor 15 having an upper run 16 along a substantially horizontal path for conveying castings, sand and other molded products dumped thereonto from molds taken from adjacent moldcooling racks associated with various molding stations. The conveyor 15 is of the endless belt type and preferably is of the metal type having a plurality of transversely extending sections with portions thereof in overlapping relation to each other. If desired, the end portions 17 of each metal section of the conveyor may extend transversely thereof to form vertical side flanges. Suitable drive means (not shown) are provided for actuating the conveyor which is suitably supported between side frames 19 and 20. As partly shown herein, a portion of the side frames 19 and 20 and the conveyor structure are disposed in a pit below a floor 21 and are supported on a suitable base (not shown).

The side frame 19 includes a longitudinal channelshaped frame member 22 supported above the floor 21 with the web thereof in horizontal position and having a horizontal plate 23 secured thereto. Upright channelshaped frame members 24 are secured to the frame member 22 in spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the conveyor and at the upper ends thereof, the upright frame members 24 have secured thereto a longitudinal channel-shaped frame member 26 with the web portion thereof disposed horizontally.

The opposite side frame 20 includes a longitudinally disposed channel-shaped frame member 28 with its web disposed vertically and a plurality of vertical frame members 30 fixed thereto and extending upwardly therefrom. At their upper ends, the vertical frame members 30 have fixed thereto and support an upper longitudinally extending channel-shaped frame member 31 in parallel and horizontal alignment with the longitudinal channel member 26 on the other side of the conveyor. The longitudinal channel frame members 26 and 31 are connected to each other at intervals by cross-frame members 33. The frame work thus formed, extends upwardly from opposite sides of the conveyor, above and across the conveyor in vertically spaced relation thereto, and extends parallel to the conveyor in a longitudinal direction.

A pair of vertically and longitudinally directed composite side walls 35 and 36 are suspended from the upper longitudinal frame members 26 and 31, respectively, with the lower edges of the walls disposed in close proximity to the upper run of the conveyor 15. Each of the composite side walls comprises a rigid lower metal plate section 38 connected along its upper edge to a flexible section 40 which is connected at its upper edge to a relatively narrow metal plate section 42 which in turn is secured to flanges of the longitudinal channel frame members 26 and 31.

The flexible sections 40 comprise a pair of strips or sheets of flexible material 44 such as rubber disposed on opposite sides of the plates 38 and 42 and with the marginal portions thereof in overlapping relation thereto.

Clamping bars 46 on opposite sides of the overlapping marginal portions of the plates 42 and the rubber strips 44 are drawn together by bolts 47 to secure the opposite edges of the flexible strips 44 to the metal plates 38 and 42 whereby they cooperate to form substantially impervious side walls. In a longitudinal direction, the plates 33 extend along substantially the length of the conveyor 15.

The composite side wall 35 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings or doorways 50 through which the molds may be dumped onto the conveyor 15. A pair of the vertical channel frame members 24 are disposed on opposite sides of the openings 50 in the side wall 35 and a door or closure 52 is provided for substantially closing the opening 50 when it is not being used. As shown in FIG. 1, the door is pivotally connected at its upper end by a hinge 54 secured to an angle bar 55 fixed to the upper longitudinal frame member 26, and the door is movable to and from an open position shown in dotted lines to a closed position, shown in full lines, in which latter position the door rests on a pair of supporting members 56 secured to the opposing faces of the vertical frame members 24.

The side walls 35 and 36 confine the material on the conveyor and in turn are urged outwardly by the castings and material dumped onto the conveyor 15. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the plate 38 of the wall 35 is restrained against outward movement beyond a predetermined normal position by engagement with an edge of the stationary horizontal frame plate 23 and vertical abutment plates 58 (FIGS. 1 and ).secured to the flanges of the upright frame members 24.

Adjacent each opening 58 in the side wall 35, deflector plates 68 are secured to the inner side of the lower metal plate sections 38 of the wall in oblique relation thereto as by welding along one edge 61 thereof and by an angle-iron brace 62 welded thereto and to the plate 38. The deflecting plates 68 extend a substantial distance upwardly from the lower edge of the plate 38 and as the conveyor carries the castings, sand and other material longitudinally therewith, the deflecting plates serve to move the castings, etc. away from the wall 35 toward the other side of the conveyor 15.

.Angle-iron brackets 64 (FIGS. 1 and 5) welded to the outside of the metal plates 38 of the side wall 35 rest on the upper surface of the horizontal plate 23 for relieving the weight of the metal plate 38 from the flexible strips 48 and transferring it to the horizontal frame plate 23 and the side frame 19. The angle-iron brackets 64 on the plates 38 also engage the upright frame members 24 and serve to hold the plate 38 against longitudinal movement with the material being carried by the conveyor 15.

The wall 36 is restrained from lateral outward movement beyond a predetermined normal position by stationary abutments in the form of channel-shaped brackets 67 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 6) secured to the upright channel frame members 30. Angle-iron members 68 secured to the lower metal plate 38 rest on the upper ends of the brackets 67 for supporting the plates 38 thereon and relieving the Weight thereof from the flexible section 40 of the side wall 36. Other angle-iron members 69 secured to the outer surface of the lower plates 38 engage the brackets 67 and serve to hold the plates 38 against longitudinal movement with the material on the conveyor 15. Springs 70 (FIG. 6) interconnecting the metal plate section =38 and the stationary frame brackets 67 stress the section 38 to a normal position of rest in engagement with the stationary brackets 67 and with the angle-iron members 69 in engagement with the brackets 67.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, plates 80 are secured to the cross frame members 33 and to longitudinally disposed angle bars 81 fastened to the opposing longitudinal channel members 26 and 42 and cooperate with the cross members 33 and the channel member 26 to form an upper wall 82. This top wall and the side walls 35 and 36 form a hood 83 over the conveyor 15 which hood is provided with suitable closures (not shown) at each end thereof. At intervals, preferably at points aligned with the doorways 50, the upper wall 8-2 is provided with openings and vertical ducts 85 which communicate with a horizontally disposed exhaust duct 86 from which the atmosphere may be exhausted by a suitable exhausting means not shown. Suitable gate valves or dampers 87 are provided in the vertical ducts 85 and may be manually adjusted to establish or shut 0E communication etween the exhaust duct 86 and the hood 83.

It will be understood that the doorways 50 in the side wall 35 are arranged in alignment with the ends of the cooling racks on which the molds are cooled after the molten metal has been poured thereinto. The cooling racks are provided with stationary rollers along which the molds may be advanced toward the conveyor 15, and an extensible section 75 indicated in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 4 is adapted to be moved into the doorway and supported on the horizontal frame plate 23'with one end thereof positioned slightly beyond the side wall 35 to facilitate dumping the sand molds onto the conveyor 15. The deflecting members 68 adjacent one edge of the doorways 5t serve, as previously stated, to move the castings and molding sand laterally from the wall 35 toward the other side of the conveyor 15 so that the castings, as they are advanced with the conveyor, are spaced from the ends of other extensible sections 75 projecting into the hood and do not engage and damage them.

With the relatively high side walls 35 and 36, a relatively large number of the molds may be dumped onto the conveyor at a rate faster than the conveyor can immediately carry the castings and sand away from the doorway so that the sand and castings may pile up on theconveyor l5 and against the wall 36 opposite the doorway 58 to a substantial height. The composite side walls with the lower rigid metal plate sections 38 supported in close proximity to the conveyor 15 and yieldably supported for limited movement upwardly and inwardly facilitates the operation of the conveyor in that it eliminates the stoppage of the conveyor due to the wedging of cast articles or scrap pieces which may become temporarily wedged between the bottom edge of the lower metal section 38 and the conveyor 15.

In the event that a casting should become wedged between the lower edge of the plate 38 and the conveyor 15, the temporarily wedged casting will move the metal plate 38 upwardly which movement of the yieldably mounted plate permits the casting to release itself as it is advanced with the conveyor. The release of the casting thus prevents a jamming action which invariably locks the conveyor to the sidewalls when the side wall is fixedly mounted and causes the conveyor to stop by shearing a shear pin in the drive therefor.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for conveying material, a conveyor having a substantially flat upper surface for carrying the material thereon, a frame for supporting said conveyor, a pair of laterally spaced elongated metal sheets for confining the material therebetween on said conveyor, and means for individually mounting said metal sheets substantially vertically on said frame in predetermined positions and in spaced and close proximity to said conveyor for upward movement and lateral inward movement and against lateral outward movement and against downward movement.

2. A conveyor mechanism comprising an endless conveyor having a substantially flat upper surface for carrying material thereon, a frame for supporting said conveyor, a pair of laterally spaced composite side walls having upper portions connected to said frame and supported thereby in predetermined substantially vertical positions above said conveyor for confining the material therebetween, an upper wall extending between said composite walls and cooperating therewith to form a hood over said conveyor, each of said composite walls having an elongated metal plate disposed in close proximity to said conveyor and a flexible strip secured to the upper edge of said plate, and means on said plates and said frame for supporting said metal plates against lateral outward movement and against downward movement from said predetermined positions while permitting limited lateral inward movement and upward movement of said plates.

3. A conveyor mechanism comprising an endless conveyor having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting material thereon, a frame for supporting said con: veyor, a pair of elongated laterally spaced metal plates disposed vertically above and in longitudinally parallel relation to said conveyor, elongated flexible strips connected to the upper edges of said metal plates and co operating therewith to form composite side walls, means engaging the upper portions of said flexible strip and said frame for supporting the composite side walls in upright positions, abutment members on said frame engaging one side of each of said plates for supporting the plates in predetermined positions and against lateral outward movement while permitting lateral inward movement thereof, and elements on said plates resting on said abutment members for supporting said plates in predetermined vertical positions with the lower edges of the plates in close proximity to said conveyor and against downward movement while permitting upward movement of said plates.

4. In a material-conveying device, an endless conveyor having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting material thereon, a frame for supporting said conveyor, a pair of elongated laterally spaced metal plates disposed vertically above and in longitudinally parallel relation to said conveyor, elongated flexible strips connected to the upper edges of said metal plates and cooperating therewith to form composite side walls, means engaging the upper portions of said flexible strip and said frame for supporting the composite side walls in upright positions, abutment members on said frame engaging one side of each of said plates for supporting the plates in predetermined positions and against lateral outward movement while permitting lateral inward movement thereof, elements on said plates resting on said abutment members for supporting said plates in predetermined vertical positions with the lower edges of the plates in close proximity to said conveyor and against downward movement while permitting upward movement of said plates, shoulders on one of said plates engageable with the abutment members on said frame for holding said plates against longitudinal movement in the direction of movement of the material on said conveyor, and spring means interconnecting said plates and said frame for stressing said one plate for movement outwardly against said abutment member and for longitudinal movement to maintain said shoulders in engagement with said abutment members.

5. In a material-conveying device, an endless conveyor having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting material thereon, a frame for supporting said conveyor, a pair of elongated laterally spaced metal plates disposed longitudinally and vertically above the conveyor, elongated flexible strips connected to the upper portions of said metal plates and cooperating therewith to form composite side walls, means secured to the upper portions of said flexible strips and to said frame for supporting the composite walls in upright positions, an upper wall interconnecting the upper portions of said side walls and cooperating therewith to form an exhaust hood above said conveyor, cooperable means on said frame and said plates for supporting the plates in predetermined positions and against lateral outward movement and against downward movement from said predetermined positions While permittinglimited lateral inward movement and upward movement of the plates from said predetermined positions, one of said composite side Walls having longitudinally spaced openings therein for the passage of material onto said conveyor, movable closure means for said openings, and deflecting plates mounted on said metal plates of said one wall adjacent said openings and disposed obliquely to the wall for engaging the material dumped onto the conveyor and moving it away from said one wall.

6. Ina material-conveying device, an endless conveyor having a substantially fiat upper surface for supporting material, thereon, a frame for supporting said conveyor, a pair of laterally spaced composite side walls disposed vertically above and in longitudinally parallel relation to said conveyor and in close proximity thereto, said side walls comprising a lower rigid metal sheet section engageable with the material on the conveyor, a flexible section, means for securing said flexible section to the upper portion of said rigid section, means for securing said flexible section to said frame, said flexible section serving to permit vertical displacement of said rigid section, said frame having abutment portions engaging said lower rigid sections for holding them against lateral outward movement, means on said lower rigid sections engaging said abutment portions of said frame for supporting said rigid sections in a predetermined vertical position and against movement in a downward direction, one of said composite walls having openings for movement of the material therethrough onto the conveyor, and deflecting members on the rigid section of said one composite side wall adjacent said openings for moving the material laterally on the conveyor away from said one composite wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,665,795 Holwick Jan. 12, 1954 

